It has been a practice to provide trunnion mounted differentials on a work machine in order to provide leveling capabilities for the machine during machine operation. In such applications, the differentials are normally spaced a sufficient distance apart to provide an appropriate wheel base length spacing. Load carrying capacity and machine stability are parameters associated with this spacing. In front and rear wheel drive applications, the distance is often great enough in magnitude to require that the cross-sectional diameter of the power transferring shaft connecting the input and output shafts of the differentials be greater in magnitude than that required to transfer the power. At rotational speeds of normal operation, a shaft capable of handling the torque will deflect excessively, vibrate, and fail prematurely. Increasing the diameter of the shaft causes a wasteful use of material and increases the costs of manufacture.
In some applications the transfer gear box is mounted on the machine vertically. In such applications, and given that a predetermined minimum ground clearance is required, the center of gravity of the machine is elevated and machine stability is sacrificed. This also requires that the engine is at a higher elevation which reduces operator visibility thereover.
In other machine applications, trunnions are used to pivotally connect the differential to the frame. In these applications the trunnions are spaced elevationally above the drive shaft connected between the differentials. This raises the center of gravity of the machine and the elevational position of the engine.
When providing a disc brake on a machine to brake rotation of the drive shaft it is common practice to mount a separate brake assembly on the machine frame. This requires additional shafts, joints and other related components. This increases the complexity and is detrimental to prolonged life.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.